Commercial mailing form



Sept. 6, 1938. A HQLDEN 2,129,581

A`COIVIMERCIAL MAILING FORM Filed oct. 13, 193e 5 sheets-sheet 1 JOHN DOE BRQS.

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Q GES Sept. 6, 1938. J. A. HOLDEN CIVIMERQIIU.: MAILING FORM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 15, 1936 SD offoooorOOrOATZ T T E w o .u o o 5. 2 O. O. O. O .N NK 68A. f. EE UCN l\ TREE omDrmlACB a u. w T 7 @v N T D l qw E WH E JT m O D M o T W T w N Al m co u m u S @H h. P C T io C Sept. 6, 1938.

J. A. HOLDEN COMMERCIAL MAILING FORM Filed oct. 15, 1956 BAL-rumana, MD.

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Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 13,

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a mailing sheet that may be made in large quantities, with small variation in message and that may be sent for a minimum of postage. The sheet is particularly adapted for use as a collection letter. Collection messages may not be sent by open mail because of postal regulations, and the usual letter not only involves a high postage rate but also a very considerable clerical handling in preparation for mailing. In this invention the sheets may be made up in large quantities, ready sealed, and need only the address and the designation of the amount due by the debtor on the closed form before it is ready for mailing. It can take the lowest rate of postage since there are a large number of identical letters and since they may be opened for postal inspection by pulling out an unsealed end flap.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a View of the inside of the unfolded sheet. Fig. 2 is a View of the sheet showing the end aps folded over and the beginning of the making of the center fold. Fig. 3 is a View of the back of the sheet, folded ready for mailing. Fig. 4 is a view of the back ofthe sheet, ready for mailing, showing the address. Fig. 5 is a partial view of a modified forrn, showing the sheet open. Fig. 6 is a view showing the rst fold of the end nap. Fig. 'l is a partial back view, showing the sheet folded and marked, for mailing. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a view of the inside of a sheet bearing a slightly different message. Fig. 10 is a View of a guide that may be used in punching the holes in the proper place or places. Fig. 11 is a view of the folded sheet in the guide. Fig. 12 is an end view of the same.

In the drawings similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The sheet has a central panel portion I, having an upper portion 2 and a lower portion 3, with the central horizontal folding line between. A long end flap 4 is at one side of the panel portion and shorter end flap 5 is at the other. A top sealing flap 6 ls at the top of the panel portion. This flap has gum therealong.

In the preferred form the message is written on the inside of the panel portion and it is a form message that may be used for nearly all collections of the same house. The lower half of the end flap 5 has a column of characters or figures I thereon, in regular spacing and arranged from a high sum to a low sum. The sheet, bearing these 1936, Serial No. 105,360

figures and the message on the panel portion, and the notation, or direction, on the upper half of end flap 5, is ready for folding and sealingand this may be done on machines, at the printers.

When the credit department of the company issuing the forms receives them, they also have printed indicia 8, one or more, on the back of the lower half of the panel portion, which indicate the position of one or more of the figures of the column 1. If only one ligure has corresponding indicia, the others may be located because of their systematic arrangement in the column. The clerk in the credit department first addresses the form to the debtor, then turns it over and places the ledger folio number at the top, and then spreads the end of the sealed form by squeezing it in her hands as shown in Fig. 12 and inserts a hand punch in the opening, including in the punch bite only the back section of the folded form, and

punches holes 9 clear through the end ilap and panel portion, at places which will indicate a selected group of figures, the addition of which will be the amount due by that particular debtor. Any other mutilation apparent adjacent the iigures or characters 'l when the sheet is opened may be used instead of punching. When the form is received and opened by the debtor, it will show the amount due, the holes standing opposite the selected group of gures, as shown in Fig. 1.

A large house would have a number of accounts owing the same amount, and could get the postage rate for identical inspectable letters. There would be some letters not identical and these would require the rate for inspectable mail. The end flap 5 may be readily withdrawn for postal inspection.

The sheet should be made of opaque material or if preferred, only the portion of the panel and end flap near the figures need be opaque, so as to conceal the amount due.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 instead of having figures, or other indicia 8 on the backv of the panel portion holes I0 are cut through the panel portion so that when folded, each hole will indicate a particular figure of the column of characters 1. When the form is completely folded, the clerk in the credit department need now only address the form, put on the account number, and place a dot or check Il with a stamp or other instrument in the selected group of openings. When the form is opened, these marks will be opposite the group of figures which, added, show the amount due.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, the messages on the panel portion and the upper half of end flap are varied, and months I2 are used instead of figures 1. A guide I3 may be used in this, or the other forms, in place of the indicia 8 on the back of the form. The form fits exactly into this guide, which has at the open end indicia I4 which correspond, exactly, in location to the location of the characters I2 on the folded form. The guide, containing the form, is now squeezed, and bulged, as shown in Fig. 12, and the punch end I5 placed on the horizontal line desired as shown by the guide I3. The end of this guide also. serves as an abutment for the end of the punch, to insure its proper placing in the lines indicated by the guide indicia I4. After punching, the form is removed from the guide and another is inserted.

The form is designed to eliminate clerical detail, such as typing, multigraphing or mimeographing, folding, enclosing and sealing of envelopes, resulting in reduced operating costs and also it is designed to reduce postage costs from one-half to two-thirds.

In addition to the above use, the characters 'I and I2 maybe-varied in amounts, meaning and arrangement and the form may be used by commercial houses, insurance companies, public utility companies and the like.

The invention claimed is;

1. A commercial form mailing sheet comprising a horizontally centrally foldable panel portion, end flaps foldable over said panel portion and a foldable top sealing nap, a column of characters on the inside of said sheet placed in prearranged positions, said characters being concealed when the end flaps are folded over the panel portion, means on the outside of the folded form to indicate the position of at least one of said characters when the sheet is completely folded, whereby an operative with a knowledge of the arrangement of said characters may designate one or more of the same from the back of said folded sheet and after designation, the group selected be apparent upon theunfolding of the sheet.

2. A commercial form mailing sheet comprising a horizontally centrally foldable panel portion, end flaps foldable over said panel portion and a foldable top sealing flap, a column of characters on thev inside of said sheet placed in a prearranged position adjacent one of the folding lines of one end flap With the panel portion, said characters being concealed when the end flaps are folded over the panel portion, means on the outside of said sheet and on the other side of the folding line of said end ap with the panel portion, said means indicating the position of at least one of said characters when the end flaps are folded over the panel portion, whereby an operative with a knowledge of the arrangement of said characters may designate one or more of the same when the end flaps are folded over, and after designation, the group selected be apparent after the unfolding of the sheet.

3.' A commercial form mailing sheet comprising a horizontally centrally foldable panel portion, end flaps foldable over said panel portion and a foldable -topsealing flap, a column of characters on the inside of one of said end flaps placed in a prearranged position, said characters being concealed when said end flap is folded over the panel portion, means on the outside of the lower portion of the panel portion to indicate the position of at least one of said characters when the sheet is completely folded for mailing, whereby an operative with a knowledge of the arrangement of said characters may designate one or more of the same when the sheet is completely folded from the outside thereof, and after designation, the group selected be apparent after the unfolding of the sheet.

4. A commercial form mailing sheet comprising a lhorizontally centrally foldable panel portion, end flaps foldable over said panel portion and a foldable top sealing flap, a column of characters on the inside of said sheet placed in aprearranged position, said characters being concealed when the end flaps are folded over the panel portion, indicia on the reverse side of the lower portion of the panel portion to indicatethe position of at least one of said characters when the sheet is completely folded for mailing, said sheets being provided with mutilations ypassing therethrough and placed at Will as indicated by said indicia to designate selected characters from the outside of said sheet when folded for mailing, -said mutilations being apparent when the sheet is reopened. y

JOHN A. HOLDEN. 

